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A blog for advertising creatives in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. To pass on news or advertise on the blog, or to subscribe to Campaign Brief Australia/NZ or CB Asia, or The Work 06 Annual, email: michael@campaignbrief.com

Thursday, October 18, 2007

THE SWEET SHOP SIGNS NEW DIRECTORS FOR WORLDWIDE REP

The Sweet Shop have signed two new directors for worldwide representation. New Zealand-based, Taika Waititi, has joined the roster after gaining the company’s attention with his debut feature film ‘Eagle vs. Shark’, (official selection Sundance Film Festival) and his direction of HBO comedy-hit series, ‘Flight of the Conchords’ episodes. Not to mention his Oscar-nominated short film ‘Two Cars, One Night’. Also added to the roster is The Sweet Shop’s youngest director, Sam Holst - who has spent the past year as in-house director’s assistant to Steve Ayson. Prior to joining The Sweet Shop, Holst’s award-winning short film, ‘Swing’ won the ‘Make a Film. Make a Difference’ competition hosted by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in Australia. It went on to appear at numerous showcases and festivals around the world - including the shots / CFP-e Young Director Award Showcase in Cannes. It also picked up a Silver Clio, saw Holst profiled in shots - New Directors and nominated a Finalist for Best Film Direction at the Melbourne Art Directors Club (MADC) Awards in Australia up against a handful of the nations top directors. Paul Prince, Managing Director of The Sweet Shop explains: “It’s not often The Sweet Shop adds new talent to its roster, but I have so much respect for Sam and Taika. I’m honoured to have them join our team. I’ve been working with Sam in-house over the last year, while he’s been working with Steve Ayson and his contributions were obvious. So when we decided to add new directors to our roster, Sam was the first person we asked. I really looking forward to seeing him express his craft in The Sweet Shop environment”. Prince continues: “We’ve been watching Taika’s work for a while, absolutely loved ‘Two Cars, One Night’ and we knew he had a strong comedy bent. When his feature came out he was too hard to ignore - and I was over the moon when we sat down and discussed the possibility of him working in the commercial film environment. Taika is a true creative in his own right and I have a lot of respect for his imagination and versatility. I’m sure he’ll be presented with some great opportunities and will contribute powerfully to strong ideas”.